Holder for appliance and associated articles

ABSTRACT

Holder for electrical appliance and associated articles, the holder including a base portion housing a battery-charging means and having a recess for receiving an appliance, and a hollowback portion extending from the base position and having runner means for slidingly receiving articles associated with the appliance.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Bruce F. Ray

Danvers;

RichardJ. Petrillo, Norwell, both of Mass. 3,615

Jan. 19, 1970 Sept. 28, 1971 The Gillette Company Boston, Mass.

HOLDER FOR APPLIANCE AND ASSOCIATED ARTICLES 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

11.5. CI 320/2, 30/329,174/135, 206/16 A, 248/176, 310/48, 310/89, D95/31 Int. Cl H02j 7/00 Field of Search 320/2;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,948,388 8/1960 Metzler etal 206/16 A 3,143,697 8/1964 Springer.... 320/2 3,277,358 10/1966Nicholl 320/2 X 3,287,076 11/1966 Spofford 312/293 X 3,293,528 12/1966 Rosen et al. 320/2 3,371,260 2/1968 Jackson et a1. 320/2 3,418,55212/1968 Holmes 320/2 Primary Examiner.l. D. Miller AssistantExaminer.lohn M. Gunther Atr0rneys Philip Colman. Oistein .l. Bratlie,William M.

Anderson and Scott R. Foster ABSTRACT: Holder for electrical applianceand associated articles, the holder including a base portion housing abatterycharging means and having a recess for receiving an appliance,and a hollowbaek portion extending from the base position and havingrunner means for slidingly receiving articles associated with theappliance.

HOLDER FOR APPLIANCE AND ASSOCIATED ARTICLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONl Field of the Invention This invention relates to storage devices andis directed more particularly to a holder for retaining and rechargingan electrical appliance and for retaining articles associated with theappliance.

2. Description of the Prior Art Electric toothbrushes, electric razorsfor dry shaving, and the like, are common items on the market.Frequently such apparatus is powered by battery means which must berecharged between uses. Accordingly, there have been developed storagedevices, or holders, which serve as a repository for the appliancesbetween uses and also have means therein for recharging the batterymeans of the appliances.

More recently, there have been developed wet shavers which utilize razorblades or razor blade cartridges, as in the past, but which also utilizean electrically induced motion to obtain a desired slicing effect. See,for example, U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 85l,665, filed Aug. 20,1969, in the names of Ben H. Alexander, Joseph E. Koehler, and Roger L.Perry.

In view of such developments there has arisen a need for providingholder means for such razors, adapted to retain and recharge the razor,and also adapted to retain the blades or blade cartridges used inconjunction with the razor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present inventionis to provide an appliance holder having means for receiving andrecharging an appliance.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a holder havingmeans also for receiving and retaining articles as sociated with theappliance.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, afeature of the present invention is the provision of an appliance holderhaving a base portion housing a batterycharging means, means forconnecting the battery-charging means to an electric source, the basehaving a recess for receiving the appliance, a generally hollow backportion extending from the base, and runner means disposed in said backportion and comprising guide rails for cooperatively slidingly receivingarticles associated with the appliance. The invention is hereinillustrated in its application to wetshave razors and blades, of thetype disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. application. While theinvention is particularly applicable to such devices, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in scope to devices of thistype, but is applicable to electrical appliances generally.

The above and other features of the invention, including various noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts, will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particulardevice embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only andnot as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features ofthis invention may be employed in various and numerous embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings in which there is shown an illustrative embodiment of theinvention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, partially broken away, of oneform of holder illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational sectional view of the holder; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit of the holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, it will beseen that the illustrative device includes a base portion 2 and a hollowback portion 4 extending from the base portion. The base portion 2houses a battery-charging means 6, which is connectable by a lead 8 toan outside source of electrical power (not shown). The base portion 2and back portion 4 serve as storage areas for the lead 8 when the deviceis not in use.

The base portion 2 has a recess 10 for receiving an electricalappliance, as for example, a safety razor R, as shown in phantom inFIGS. 1 and 2. The back portion 4 comprises a curved sidewall 11 and aflat sidewall 13 and includes guide members l2, 14 which extend inwardlyfrom the curved sidewall I1 and cooperate to slidingly receive anarticle associated with the appliance, as for example a razor bladecartridge B, shown in phantom in FIGS. 1 and 2. The guide members l2, 14are provided with abutment members 15 which stop the movement of theblade cartridge B in the guide members.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the holder includes a top member 16 having acircular sidewall 19 and a closed end 18 from which extend a pluralityof projections 20. The projections 20 are spaced inwardly from thesidewall 19 of the top member 16 a distance sufficient to permit passageof the curved sidewall 11 of the back portion 4 between the projections20 and the sidewall 19 of the top member. Further, the projcctions 20are spaced from each other such as not to interfere with the flatsidewall 13 of the back portion.

The bottom-of the holder is closed by a bottom end wall 22 on which maybe mounted the battery-charging means 6.

Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the battery-charging means 6is disposed in line with the recess 10 whereby to be proximate to an endof the razor R when the razor R is disposed in the recess 10. Thecharging means 6 is provided with a primary coil 24 (FIG. 3) and a coremember 26 which includes a centrally disposed post 28 (FIG. 2) and apair of upstanding fins 30, the post 28 extending from thebattery-charging means 6 well into the recess 10, and the fins 30 beingparallel thereto. The post portion 28 of the core member 26 is receivedin the razor R when the razor R is disposed in the recess 10.

The holder is normally assembled for sale with the razor R disposed inthe recess 10, the blade cartridge B disposed in the guide members [2,14, the electrical lead 8 disposed inside the base and back portions ofthe holder, and the upper end of the holder, as viewedin the drawings,closed by the top member 16.

When it isdesired to use the razor, the top member 16 is removed fromthe top of the holder, inverted, and placed on the bottom of the holder,the projections 20 engaging the bottom end wall 22, the circularsidewall 19 of the top member concentrically engaging the sidewall 11 ofthe base portion 2 of the holder. The lead 8 is removed from the holderand connected to a convenient source of electricity, as for example, acommon household electrical outlet (not shown). To facilitate extensionof the lead 8 from the holder, the holder may be provided with anopen-ended slot 32 (FIG. I). Connection of the lead 8 to an electricalsource energizes the primary coil 24 and core member 26, which in theillustrated example comprises a portion of an E-core transformer.Disposed in the razor R is a secondary coil C, shown in phantom in FIG.3, which cooperates with the primary coil 24 and the core 26 to form atransformer for conducting electrical energy to a battery-chargingcircuit E located in the razor R when the razor R is disposed in therecess 10.

The razor is lifted from the recess, thereby separating the componentsof the transformer and interrupting the batterycharging flow ofelectricity. When it is desired to change razor cartridges, thecartridge B is merely lifted from the guide members 12, 14 and insertedin the razor. After use of the razor, the razor is returned to therecess 10, a hole in the handle of the razor receiving the post portion28 of the core member 26, whereby to reinstitute charging of the batterymeans of the razor.

Ordinarily, the holder would remain with the top member 16 on the bottomend of the holder and the electrical lead 8 connected to theaforementioned electrical source. However, for travelling or the like,the lead 8 need only be removed from the electrical source and repackedin the hollow base and back portions, and the top member 16 be removedfrom the bottom end of the holder and replaced on the top end of theholder. The projections 20 are pointedly shaped so as to assist inalignment of the upper end of the back portion 4 and the top member 16.

It is intended that the phrase battery-charging means as used hereinindicate means facilitating battery charging, though not necessarilycomprising all that is required to charge a battery. For example, thebase portion referred to herein houses means facilitating batterycharging and is referred to as "battery-charging means, although it isrecognized that such means in the housing comprises only part of thetotal means required to charge a battery, the remaining part beingdisposed in the razor handle.

It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limitedto the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in thedrawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within thescope of the disclosure.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Appliance holder comprising a base portion, a batterycharging meansdisposed in said base portion, means for connecting saidbattery-charging means to an electrical energy source, said base portionhaving a recess for receiving an electrical appliance, a generallyhollow back portion extending from said base portion and adapted tohouse said connecting means, and a top member engageable with a top endof said holder to close said top end and engageable with a bottom end ofsaid holder to retain said holder therein.

2. The invention according to claim 1 including projections extendingfrom a closed end of said top member inwardly toward an open end of saidtop member.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said projections arepointed.

4. Holder for safety razor comprising a generally cylindrically shapedbase portion, a battery-charging means disposed in said base portion,means for connecting said battery-charging means to an electrical energysource, said base portion having a recess for receiving the handle ofsaid safety razor, said battery-charging means being proximate to saidrecess and engageable with said razor handle when said razor is disposedin said recess, a hollow generally hemicylindrical back portionextending from said base portion and adapted to house said connectingmeans, and razor blade holder means disposed in said back portion.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which said razor blade holdermeans comprises guide rails extending generally inwardly from theinterior walls of said back portion for cooperatively and slidinglyreceiving razor blade means.

6. The invention according to claim 4 in which said back portion isprovided with an open-ended slot to facilitate extension of saidconnecting means from said holder.

7. The invention according to claim 5 in which each of said rails isprovided with an inwardly extending abutment member engageable by saidrazor blade means.

8. The invention according to claim 7 in which one of said railscomprises three elongated members joined lengthwise on one edge, asecond edge of one of said elongated members being joined to theinterior wall of said back portion.

9. The invention according to claim 4 in which said batterychargingmeans comprises a primary coil and a core member, said core memberincluding a post portion which extends into said recess and isreceivable by a hole in said razor, other portions of said core memberbeing disposed outside of said recess but proximate thereto.

1. Appliance holder comprising a base portion, a batterycharging meansdisposed in said base portion, means for connecting saidbattery-charging means to an electrical energy source, said base portionhaving a recess for receiving an electrical appliance, a generallyhollow back portion extending from said base portion and adapted tohouse said connecting means, and a top member engageable with a top endof said holder to close said top end and engageable with a bottom end ofsaid holder to retain said holder therein.
 2. The invention according toclaim 1 including projections extending from a closed end of said topmember inwardly toward an open end of said top member.
 3. The inventionaccording to claim 2 in which said projections are pointed.
 4. Holderfor safety razor comprising a generally cylindrically shaped baseportion, a battery-charging means disposed in said base portion, meansfor connecting said battery-charging means to an electrical energysource, said base portion having a recess for receiving the handle ofsaid safety razor, said battery-charging means being proximate to saidrecess and engageable with said razor handle when said razor is disposedin said recess, a hollow generally hemicylindrical back portionextending from said base portion and adapted to house said connectingmeans, and razor blade holder means disposed in said back portion. 5.The invention according to claim 4 in which said razor blade holdermeans comprises guide rails extending geNerally inwardly from theinterior walls of said back portion for cooperatively and slidinglyreceiving razor blade means.
 6. The invention according to claim 4 inwhich said back portion is provided with an open-ended slot tofacilitate extension of said connecting means from said holder.
 7. Theinvention according to claim 5 in which each of said rails is providedwith an inwardly extending abutment member engageable by said razorblade means.
 8. The invention according to claim 7 in which one of saidrails comprises three elongated members joined lengthwise on one edge, asecond edge of one of said elongated members being joined to theinterior wall of said back portion.
 9. The invention according to claim4 in which said battery-charging means comprises a primary coil and acore member, said core member including a post portion which extendsinto said recess and is receivable by a hole in said razor, otherportions of said core member being disposed outside of said recess butproximate thereto.